Superloop

The Superloop programme is a collection of orbital, express bus services being launched to eventually circle Outer London (almost – the River Thames between North Woolwich and Thamesmead preventing an actual complete loop).

London has always had a form of express bus services, however these have been very limited. However, back in 2017 when the London Assembly raised alarm bells that following a period of sustained growth, bus patronage was stagnating, the (then, new) Mayor of London was urged to explore a significant expansion of express services and this has led us to what we see today.

If you know where to look (Proposal 57 of the 2018 Mayor’s Transport Strategy, of course), the Mayor recognises express services could allow buses to play an enhanced role in the London transport network and the transfer of more people from cars to public transport. One year later, the X140 (now SL9) between Heathrow and Harrow was launched.

And it seems to have worked… the X140 (SL9) resulted in up to a 15% increase in bus travel demand in the corridor (i.e. accounting for any transfer of demand). As a result of this success, the Superloop brand was launched in March 2023. Over the following months, a raft of consultations were launched for each of the proposed routes. And they included some promising results; 55% of respondents to the SL2 consultation suggested they would use SL2 to replace a private car journey.

So here we are today. The SL5 has only 11 stops over the 13km of its route, with five of these in the town centres at either end. This provides very fast journey times between the two centres (end to end, around 40% faster than was possible before). Launching on a Saturday, the first journey I took largely comprised of confused members of the public stepping on and asking if this route was for them, however fast-forward no less than a week when I am next in town and I overhear someone waiting specifically for the SL5. News, like Superloop buses, moves fast(er).

In 10 days time, on 24th February, the SL3 will launch, providing Bromley its second route, this time to Thamesmead via Sidcup, Bexleyheath & Abbey Wood and a week later, the ninth route, the SL2 which completes the loop, will be available. That makes it possible to take a seven bus loop through 17 London boroughs between Thamesmead and North Woolwich.

The final piece of the Superloop programme will be the launch of route SL4, between Canary Wharf and Grove Park, although that needs to await the completion of the Silvertown Tunnel first (2025). With no currently proposed connection to SL2 or SL3, the complete loop of Outer London will need to wait a little while longer.

Then comes the true test- will the Superloop services form an essential part of the bus network? Will we see SL11, SL12 and SL13? Will this reinvigorate bus patronage in London? Rest assured, I and others at i-Transport will be sure to find out!